The Santa Clara County Consumer and Environmental Protection Agency (CEPA) has released its 2015 crop report, which shows nursery, mushrooms and bell peppers continue to be the top money-making crops locally.
“I am proud of the rich agricultural diversity and the tangible contributions South County provides to our region’s economy,” said District 1 Supervisor Mike Wasserman. “We have 20,000 acres of farmland supplying a variety of agricultural products both locally and nationally that on an annual basis contributes $279 million in gross production value to our local economy.”
This year’s report focuses on wine grapes and wine production in the region. Currently there are 1,580 acres of wine grapes planted in Santa Clara County.
“In South Bay area, we have gone from 14 wineries to almost 30,” said Mike Sampognaro, who has run Morgan Hill Cellars for the last 10 years. He pointed out that area wineries have been garnering more and more awards.
However, George Guglielmo of Gugliemo Winery noted that there were much larger wineries in the Santa Clara Valley 30 to 40 years ago. Even earlier, in the 1940s, there were 8,000 acres of grapes in the valley, Guglielmo explained.
The history of successful wine production as part of the county’s dynamic agribusiness spans over 100 years, drawing residents and tourists to 53 local wineries that are part of the two American Viticultural Areas (AVA) in Santa Clara County, according to the county’s report.
“Santa Clara Valley is really where premium wine production started,” Guglielmo said. “Santa Clara Valley, in the 1970s and late 1960s, bottled more premium quality table variety wine than Napa Valley did.”
An AVA is a federally-recognized designated wine grape-growing region in the U.S. distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries that are defined by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
The 2015 crop report includes the history of wine in the county and fun facts about wine grapes and winemaking. The crop report includes a comprehensive map that identifies production locations and wineries for easy reference when planning a visit to the area. Wine grapes were valued at $5,509,000 in 2015, according to the latest crop report.
“The crop report is an important reminder that agriculture continues to be an economic asset to our county,” said Joseph Deviney, Santa Clara County Agricultural Commissioner. “I hope everyone can explore this beautiful area and enjoy the variety of crops that are produced locally.”
According to the latest report, the top three crops for the past 10 years continue to be nursery crops (such as bedding plants and ornamental/Christmas trees), mushrooms and bell peppers, with a gross value of more than $149 million combined. In 2015, 23 different agricultural commodities grown in the county exceeded $1 million in crop value. The agribusiness also creates more than 8,000 job opportunities to the county economy annually.
Although California’s drought restricts water usage in many regions, the report indicates that local growers are able to produce crops using a well-managed groundwater supply in Santa Clara County. While cherry crop experienced another poor year due to lack of rainfall and chill hours that are needed for good cherry production, the county continued to have strong production of corn, tomatoes and spinach in 2015.
A copy of the 2015 crop report can be requested via email [email protected], or in person at the County Agriculture Division office at 1553 Berger Drive, Building 1, San Jose. A copy of the current and previous reports can be viewed or downloaded online at sccgov.org/cropreports.
Nursery crops, $65,974,000
Mushrooms, $64,533,000
Bell peppers, $19,247,000
Spinach, $14,088,000
Salad greens, $11,880,000
Tomatoes, $10,148,000
Lettuce, $10,116,000
Wax and chili peppers, $8,779,000
Corn, $8,383,000
Cabbage, $8,104,000
